Hola! Here’s my last sketch study from the time trial on Stage 1, this time showing Team Sky’s Michal Kwiatowski approaching the line at great speed to take the lead. His team mate Dylan van Baarle had held set a great time early on, but Kwiatowski put in a tremendous time, looking as though he would take his first stage win. It was not to be, but this moment looked great – at least for a while!
Much of the focus of this year’s race has been on these two riders – Chris Froome and, from this stage onwards, Geraint Thomas. Fantastic riding from them both and Thomas took the Yellow Jersey just a few seconds after this… I dare not say anymore as the finish is so close now! All the paintings are for sale (unless marked SOLD). Click to buy Thank you! 🙂 For full details, please visit Picture Info
Bonjour! Stage 21, the final stage in Paris sets the seal on the Tour. Regarded by some as a procession or show stage, there is still the matter of the Yellow Jersey completing the course before the phenomenal final sprint on the Champs-Élysées. Not quite so predictable on this occasion, as the roads were made treacherous by torrential rain. The day in Paris began as last year, with the new women’s race, La Course. I felt compelled to include this as the racing was just outstanding. (A full post especially dedicated to it will follow) After this breathtaking race, the men’s Tour…
Bonjour! Stage 15 pressed on through the stunning scenery beside the rivers Ardèche and Rhone towards the Alps. The conditions were hot with the Tramontane wind’s influence. In spite of the hills and climbs, there was a chance for the sprinters on the flat at the finish – really the last before Paris, so there was much to chase for the key riders. Team Katusha looked strong in the earlier part of the stage, Team Sky continued to hold their position, but the excitement came at the close, where four sprinters charged for the line. Another great performance from Andre Greipel who took…
Bonjour! Stage 10 on Bastille Day, was the first of three days in the Pyrenees, following a great course through the foothills, up into the mountains and finishing with a testing climb. The dazzling performance of the day came from Chris Froome, who broke away with 6km to go and left everyone behind, almost dancing on the bike up to the finish. This was an astounding performance, securing the King of the Mountains jersey as well as retaining Yellow. He won on Bastille day the year he won the Tour, perhaps too soon to assume that history will repeat itself, but we’ll see….
Bonjour! A team time-trial provided the excitement on Stage 9, before the rest day and the first real mountain stages in the Pyrenees on Tuesday. Time trials show the technique of riding so well and it’s a delight to see a well-practiced team moving like a machine, absorbing the air to go faster. This course was unusually placed in the Tour and with a sharp kick-climb at the end, really tested each teams’ skills. There are several masters of this discipline, including the current world champions, BMC – who are a joy to watch. They took the win from Sky by one…
Hola! The third day in the mountains. Better weather than yesterday revealed the mountains in their glory, not to mention a great stage for Contador and Froome, battling it out uphill, while Cancellara showed how to handle a descent! Here are my drawings:
